Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg
5765 Maeystown Road – Waterloo, IL 62298
Pastor Dan Ostlund
Office: 618-939-7094 – cell 618-301-6358
Office: hcwartb@htc.net, Pastor: wartburg.pastor@gmail.com
Website: www.holycrosswartburg.com
First Sunday After Christmas
Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM
December 29, 2024
Guests Welcome! We are delighted that you are with us for worship this morning. Consider us your church home– at least for today. We hope we will see you again soon!
We celebrate Holy Communion: In this Supper of our Lord we receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ under the earthly forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Since this Holy Communion is also a sign of how we commonly confess the Christian faith, we welcome to the Lord’s Table those who are confirmed members of congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. If this is your first time communing with us, please speak with the pastor or an usher before the service begins. If you are a guest who has not been instructed concerning the Lord’s Supper and our church’s teaching, and desire to commune with us, we invite you to first attend our instructional classes.
Divine Service Setting 5 – page 213
Ringing of the Bell
Opening Hymn #338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if you are able
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 98:1–4; antiphon: Isaiah 52:10
The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the | nations,*
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation | of our God.
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done | marvelous things!*
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salva- | tion for him.
The Lord has made known his sal- | vation;*
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of | Israel.*
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation | of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, | all the earth;*
break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the | nations,*
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation | of our God.
Gloria in Excelsis #947 All Glory Be to God on High
1 All glory be to God on high
And thanks for all His favor;
No harm can touch or terrify
A child of God forever.
God shows His good and gracious will
And grants His peace, the world to fill—
All strife at last has ended.
2 We praise and laud and worship You;
We give You thanks forever,
O Father, for Your rule is true
And just and changes never.
With boundless pow’r, Your mighty reign
Fulfills whatever You ordain.
Lord, grant us ev’ry blessing!
3 O Jesus Christ, the only Son
Begotten of the Father,
Your saving death has made us one
With God and with each other.
O Lamb of God, to You on high
In our distress we sinners cry,
Have mercy on us, amen!
4 O Holy Spirit, our delight
And source of consolation,
Protect us from the devil’s might
Through Jesus, our salvation,
Who by His death upon a tree
Has rescued us from misery:
To this we hold forever.
Text: Nicolaus Decius, c. 1485–after 1546; tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006
Text: © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001525
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 13:1–3a, 11–15
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. . . .
11“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Gradual Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 98:1a
To us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder.
And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
Epistle Colossians 3:12–17
12Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Hymn of the Day #389 Let All Together Praise Our God
Please stand if you are able
Holy Gospel Luke 2:22–40
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Creed Hymn #953 We All Believe in One True God
1 We all believe in one true God,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Ever-present help in need,
Praised by all the heav’nly host;
All He made His love enfolds,
All creation He upholds.
2 We all believe in Jesus Christ,
Son of God and Mary’s son,
Who descended from His throne
And for us salvation won;
By whose cross and death are we
Rescued from all misery.
3 We all confess the Holy Ghost,
Who from both in truth proceeds,
Who sustains and comforts us
In all trials, fears, and needs.
Blessèd, holy Trinity,
Praise forever be to Thee!
Text: Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619–84; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sit
Sermon Luke 2:22-40 “So Much More Than We Expected!”
Please stand if you are able
Prayer of the Church
P Friends in Christ, I urge you all to lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ our Lord has taught us and freely promised to hear us.
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P May Your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Strengthen us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we commend [name(s)] and all who are in need, praying for them at all times: Thy will be done. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Sit
Offering
Service of the Sacrament
If you are visiting and desire to receive Holy Communion, please see our
Communion statement on the front of our bulletin
Please stand if you are able
Preface LSB 216
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Grant us Your Spirit, gracious Father, that we may give heed to the testament of Your Son in true faith and, above all, firmly take to heart the words with which Christ gives to us His body and blood for our forgiveness. By Your grace, lead us to remember and give thanks for the boundless love which He manifested to us when, by pouring out His precious blood, He saved us from Your righteous wrath and from sin, death, and hell. Grant that we may receive the bread and wine, that is, His body and blood, as a gift, guarantee, and pledge of His salvation. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
P In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at His command, and with His own words, we receive His testament:
The Words of Our Lord LSB 217
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei #434 Lamb of God, Pure and Holy
Stanzas 1 & 3
1 Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross didst suffer,
Ever patient and lowly,
Thyself to scorn didst offer.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Have mercy on us, O Jesus! O Jesus!
3 Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross didst suffer,
Ever patient and lowly,
Thyself to scorn didst offer.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Thy peace be with us, O Jesus! O Jesus!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; Nicolaus Decius, c. 1485–after 1546
Text: Public domain
Sit
Distribution
Distribution Hymns
#367 Angels from the Realms of Glory
#384 Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Dismissal
Please stand if you are able
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus LSB 218
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn #374 Gentle Mary Laid Her Child
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Five from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
OUR PRAYERS
For the sick and/or injured –Bob Lunk (bladder cancer), Dean Reichert (heart issues), Carol Sondag (rehab at home), Charlene Wagner (recovery from surgery)
Lon Blick (recovery from surgery – Dwight Boehm’s cousin), Greyson Fizzelle (health complications – son of Dallas Robert’s work associate), Wayne Fuller (cancer – Bernice Fuller’s son), Mike Huebner (health issues – brother-in-law of Ron & Pat Unterseh), Chris Melliere (recovery from heart surgery – Kerry & Rhonda’s godchild), Philip Schmidt (treatment for Leukemia – Howard & Mike’s son), Sabrina Schmidt (complication following gallbladder surgery- daughter-in-law of Howard & Mike Schmidt), Leo David Trost (many health challenges/born with scoliosis – grandson of Kathy Bollinger), Beth Vincent (ALS – friend of Kenny & Radar), Delbert Wittenauer (health issues – Pearl Braun’s brother)
For those in Nursing Homes, the home bound, and those unable to be with us in worship.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Serving Today:
Organist: Barb Boeder
Asst Elder: Greg Reinhardt
Ushers: Randy Jones & Brett Dunker
Acolyte: Hailey Marlow & Kesey Crook
Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert
Serving Next Sunday January 5, 2025
Organist: Connie Kostecki
Asst Elder: Darren Johanning
Ushers: Spencer & Tyler Kostecki
Acolyte: Colton Glessner
Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert
This Week at Holy Cross
Today 9:00 a.m. Worship Service
10:00 a.m. Fellowship
10:15 a.m. Sunday School/Bible Class
Monday Pastor Day Off
Monday Dec. 30th 7:00 p.m. Nominating Committee Meeting.
Wednesday Jan. 1st HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Sunday, Jan. 5th 9:00 a.m. Worship Service
10:15 a.m. Sunday School/Bible Class
Birthday
Eunice Stroh Dec. 30 Paula Berg Dec. 30
Rejona Reichert Dec. 31 Theresa Clark Jan. 2
Don Dougherty Jan. 4
Anniversary
Rob & Birdie December 31, 2001
Nominations for the 2025 Slate of Officers is now open. The Nominating committee is actively seeking volunteers to fill these positions.
President – Presides over Voter’s Assembly, held Quarterly, and special meeting if needed, and appoints committees. This is a 1-year term.
Vice-President – preforms duties of president in his absence and serves as chairman of the Church Council – This is a 1-year term.
Secretary – Record the proceedings of the Voter’s assembly. Submit the minutes for adoption at the following regular meeting
Treasurer – disburse the funds of the congregation. Keep accurate records of receipts and disbursements. This is a 1-year term.
Asst. Treasurer – Receives all congregational monies and deposits them. Reports receipts to Treasurer.
Board of Elders – are assistants to the pastor and shall concern itself with the spiritual life of the congregation. This is a 3-year term.
Board of Trustees – shall be in charge of the supervision of church properties and financial record. This is a 3-year Term.
Board of Education – shall be in charge of the supervision of the educational agencies of the church. This is a 3- year term.
Cemetery Board – Is responsible for the management of the Cemetery. This is a 3-year term.
Nominating Committee for 2025 is Leanne Stechmesser, Cassie Rednour, Greg Reinhardt, Carl Brewer, Connie Vogt, Randy Jones, Ken Glaenzer and Kerry May. Please let any of them know if you are interested in volunteering.
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